Two men remanded for possible role in multiple Napa murders

By Peter Stevenson
TWO men arrested on Friday in connection with a multiple murder in Ayia Napa in 2012 were remanded for six days by Larnaca District Court Saturday.
Famagusta police arrested the two men, aged 39 and 28, who are from Paralimni after authorities obtained records from a mobile phone that was found in the prison cell of a man under trial for the murder, Demetris Mamalikopoulous.
Mamalikopoulos, 29, and Anastasios Tsehelides, 41, have been accused of five counts of murder, one for each victim on the night of June 23 last year. They are accused of the premeditated murder of Philippos Loucaides, 33, Marios Karaoli, 28, Giorgos Georgiou, 35 and Romanians Georgian Katalin Koman, 25 and Marcel Aourel Koleasa, 33, in a central square of Ayia Napa. Four of the victims were working for local businessman Phanos Kalopsidiotis, who Famagusta police believe was the culprits’ real target.
It was revealed in court on Saturday that after studying the phone records of the device found in Mamalikopoulos’ possession that the two Paralimni men are involved in the case. The prosecutor specifically referred to two missed calls the 39-year-old made to the 28-year-old’s phone on the night of the murder, shortly before the incident took place.
According to the prosecutor, the first missed call was placed while the five victims were in Soho Club in Ayia Napa and the second at the time they were outside the club and preparing to get in a car to go to another club in the area.
The police believe the 39-year-old was keeping close tabs on the five victims and was informing the 28-year-old of their whereabouts, who was in turn informing the hit-man by phone.
It was also revealed in court on Wednesday that police had received information from an inmate close to Mamalikopoulos, who claimed the 28-year-old owed him a large amount of money. Police believe the money is related to the fee the defendants were to receive upon completion of the murder.
After arresting the two men on Friday, police searched their homes. Four mobile phones were confiscated from the 39-year-old’s home and six mobile phones and part of a SIM card were confiscated from the 28-year-old’s home.
After being questioned by police, the 39-year-old denied any involvement in the case. He gave the police information which will be investigated. The 28-year-old also denied any involvement and gave a written statement which will also be investigated, police said.
The prosecution still has around 15 statements to take and the two suspects will be questioned again. The mobile phones found at the two men’s homes and the device found in Mamalikopoulos’ cell will be examined as well as the SIM cards the police found.

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